Amazon is piloting a brand new four-wheel, pedal-assist electrical supply automobile constructed by Also, a spin-off from electric-truck maker Rivian, in a bid to make metropolis logistics cleaner and extra environment friendly. The automobile—known as the TM-Q—combines the steadiness and cargo capability of a small van with the compact footprint of an e-bike. Amazon plans to deploy the TM-Q in a number of main cities as a part of its broader technique to decarbonize last-mile supply.
The TM-Q goals to resolve one of many hardest challenges in city logistics: shifting heavy hundreds rapidly by crowded metropolis facilities the place vehicles are inefficient and infrequently unwelcome. Designed to slide by visitors and park in tight areas, the automobile lets couriers pedal with electric assist or change to full battery energy on steep hills. The TM-Q additionally cuts down on the emissions and noise which have made conventional vans a goal of recent low-emission-zone regulations throughout Europe and the United States.
The venture marks the primary large-scale deployment of pedal-assist “micro-vans” by a worldwide logistics firm—a brand new center floor between cargo bikes and supply vans.
Rivian’s Micromobility Spin-off
Additionally started as an inner Rivian venture to discover how the corporate’s EV experience might prolong into micromobility. It turned an unbiased firm in early 2025 with US $105 million in Collection A funding from Eclipse Ventures. Rivian retains a minority stake, and founder RJ Scaringe sits on Additionally’s board.
“The whole lot we discovered from the Electric Delivery Van (EDV) program was poured into this venture,” Scaringe stated on the launch occasion in Oakland, Calif. That program permits Amazon to handle each Rivian’s electrical vans and Additionally’s new quads by a shared fleet-management system—a logistical benefit for an organization already working greater than 25,000 Rivian EDVs worldwide.
All of Additionally’s {hardware} and software program are constructed in-house, utilizing classes from Rivian’s automobile structure however with a separate supply chain, management workforce, and know-how stack.
The TM-Q’s pedal-by-wire powertrain merges human enter with the identical type of safety-tested management logic present in full-size electrical automobiles—simply scaled down for a motorcycle. Torque and cadence sensors on the crank measure how exhausting and how briskly the rider pedals. These alerts feed a controller that, inside milliseconds, determines how a lot electric power so as to add from the rear-hub motor. The more durable the rider pushes, the extra help the system gives—as much as legally outlined limits (250 watts steady within the EU and better within the U.S.).
“We’re making use of car-level engineering to machines that transfer by metropolis bike lanes.” –Chris Yu, Additionally
As a result of the drivetrain is absolutely digital, Can also tune the help ratio by software program updates—a observe borrowed from Rivian’s EV tuning. The system additionally applies regenerative braking, recovering small quantities of vitality to recharge the battery when slowing or stopping.
Energy comes from a modular, swappable lithium-ion pack, gentle sufficient to be carried by hand. Normal packs provide roughly 538 watt-hours for up to112 kilometers (70 miles) of vary, whereas bigger 808 Wh packs prolong that to 160 km (100 miles). Each variations help regenerative braking, which provides about 25 p.c to efficient vary. Charging makes use of USB-C PD 3.1—the most recent main model of the USB Power Delivery customary. The up to date charging modality permits for quicker, extra environment friendly vitality switch (on this case, at as much as 240 W), with communication between the charger and the battery meant to forestall points equivalent to overheating and thermal runaway that set off fires. Additionally says the ability packs are designed for bidirectional vitality circulate, that means they will double as moveable energy banks.
Is also growing battery-dock swap stations so couriers can exchange depleted packs in minutes as a substitute of ready for recharging—key to preserving the e-bikes in movement throughout multi-shift operations.
The TM-Q features a lockable cargo enclosure, logistics and charging-management software program, and a 12.7-centimeter (5-inch) touchscreen for navigation and diagnostics. Amazon plans to service the quads by its community of greater than 70 micromobility hubs throughout North America and Europe.
Challenges in Scaling Pedal-Help Quads
4-wheeled pedal-assist automobiles have been tried earlier than, however scaling them has confirmed troublesome. Within the European Union, pedal-assist quads underneath 250 watts usually qualify as bicycles, however in america, they fall right into a grey zone between e-bikes and lightweight electric vehicles. Every state units completely different velocity and energy limits, complicating large-scale deployment.
Additionally’s strategy is to adapt every regional configuration to suit native micromobility legal guidelines. The corporate’s two foremost platforms illustrate this flexibility: the TM-Q, the quad constructed to offer close to–cargo van capability however optimized for bike-lane compliance, and the two-wheeled TM-B, a consumer-focused pedal-assist e-bike with a prime assisted velocity of 45 km/h (28 mph). The TM-B has open seating for passengers or groceries and could be configured with different physique kinds constructed on the identical chassis.
The corporate says each the TM-Q and TM-B are examined to automotive-grade reliability and safety standards, exceeding conventional e-bike sturdiness benchmarks. Frames and electrical techniques endure vibration, impression, and water-resistance testing equal to that used to certify full-size EVs.
Additionally president Chris Yu says the corporate isn’t just constructing bikes with motors. “We’re making use of car-level engineering to machines that transfer by metropolis bike lanes.”
The Amazon–Additionally partnership displays a broader trade shift towards “right-sizing” supply fleets—deploying the smallest, most effective automobile for every route. Cities together with London, New York, and Paris are tightening restrictions on van entry and idling, making compact electrical automobiles not simply environmentally helpful but additionally regulatory requirements.
Additionally claims its TM sequence automobiles are 10 to 50 instances as energy-efficient as native automotive or SUV journeys, supporting cities’ emissions-reduction objectives with out requiring new highway infrastructure.
Preliminary manufacturing of the TM-Q is scheduled for early 2026, with remaining meeting in Taiwan, residence to a lot of the world’s high-end e-bike manufacturing. A number of key parts, together with frames and subassemblies, are produced in america, says Additionally.
If the TM-Q delivers on its promise, metropolis streets might quickly commerce 4 tons of metal for 4 wheels and a set of pedals—reshaping last-mile supply one bike lane at a time.
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